Degrees of Evil Part 7
After filling Leo in on what happened, he decided to orb up to tell the Elders what was going on, and ask for advice. The Charmed Ones and Cole sat down and stared at each other for a few moments, until finally Paige asked the question, "So, what are we going to do?"
Piper responded quietly, "Whatever we have to do?"
"What do you mean? You want to vanquish my SON!" Cole shouted.
"Cole, I don't see a choice. We don't have a clue what happened to him in that Chamber, nor even the remotest idea how to reverse it. Even if we had time, we couldn't prepare anything remotely possible in the amount of time we have. I don't see how we have a choice." Piper said gravely.
"Oh, of course." Cole said sarcastically. "If this was your child, you'd move heaven and earth to save it, or one of your sisters. But save the spawn of a demon from evil? Never, of course he must have wanted it, and let it happen. I've heard enough." Cole got up, and walked out of the room in disgust.
Paige turned to Phoebe and asked, "What do you think?"
Phoebe stared at the ground for a moment longer, and then said, "I don't want to, and wish there was another way. But, if it is the only option, I'll help."
"Fine. That just raises the question, what can we do? I mean, we couldn't even handle Ezekiel, Phoebe's son was the only one who could touch him. And now we have to deal with Phoebe's son who has gotten even stronger? I wouldn't know where to start." Paige said.
"Well, we start with the vanquish we have for Ezekiel. Do you think it could work on Phoebe's son?" Piper asked gravely.
"It might.," Paige began, "But he'd have to be holding still while we got it. You saw what happened when we tried it on Ezekiel, he preempted us. We'd need something pretty powerful to keep him trapped."
"I think we can help with that." A new voice spoke. As the sisters looked around, eight shining figures of different colors appeared.
"The Guardians! What are you doing here?" Paige exclaimed. Both Piper and Phoebe winced at her bluntness, but the Guardians didn't seem fazed. The light faded from them, and the sisters found themselves looking at 5 males and 3 females.
"We are here to help." Mortanos said.
"Not that we aren't grateful, but why are you helping us? Leo said you didn't ever involve yourself here." Phoebe said.
Mortanos smiled, and said, "First of all, the new Source may have the power to erase the fabric of existence, and we cannot allow that. However, if you won't take that for an answer, let us just say we have a.personal stake in this event. Now then, I feel it is only fair to introduce ourselves. As you know, I am Mortanos, Guardian of Death."
One of the women stepped forward, and said, "I am Fiona, Guardian of Fire."
A shock, stocky man said, "I am Tempest, Guardian of Wind."
A tall, thin woman then said, "I am Sierra, Guardian of Earth."
An older man with a slight limp said, "I am Azar, Guardian of Spirit."
The final woman stepped forward and said, "I am Undine, Guardian of Water."
A man missing his right arm walked forward and said, "I am a Kazan, Guardian of Destiny."
As the final man walked forward, leaning heavily on his cane, the sisters realized he was blind. "I am Moebi, Guardian of Time."
Mortanos then took the lead and said, "We may be able to hold him long enough for you to cast your spell, but we couldn't handle anything else."
"That should be more than enough, and thank you for your help." Piper said. Just then, Leo orbed back in. He took one look at the Guardians and fell into a bow. Fiona's face took on a look of irritation as she said, "Get up! I never could stand all that damn bowing when we entered a room." Leo got up with an embarrassed look on his face. Piper turned to him and said, "Focus, Leo. What did the Elders say?"
Leo looked at Piper, and said, "They have decided to help. They are going to call up every witch and whitelighter for this battle. If the new Source wants to try and kill us all, then at least we'll all be together, and we'll go down fighting. They want us to fight at a field outside of town. It's remote, and it has good cover in case of projectiles."
"I'm shocked, I never thought the Elder pacifists would make such an aggressive stance." Paige remaked.
"They obviously feel we don't have a choice. Now, let's get ready." ***
Cole could hear them arguing in the Living Room, and he heard the Guardians come in. He heard Leo's plan to fight a huge battle outside of town, and he sighed. Of all the people on the side of good, only he really understood what was going on. He never for a moment thought his Son wanted to be evil. His son, like his father before him, just lost the battle of wills against evil, and now it looks like he will pay the same price.
Cole remembered the scene in the Chamber perfectly. He remembered the moment he came back from wherever he had been, and he remembered his son stepping out of the Chamber. But, where the others saw only evil in the void of his eyes, Cole could almost swear his son had still been there, and was begging for help. The others may have given up on him, but Cole would not. No matter what, he would save his son. ***
"Is everyone ready?" Piper asked. It was the next day, and 1 hour until the appointed time. They had been working all night, and had brewed a couple of potions that may help them in the upcoming fight, just in case. The Guardians had left, saying they would meet them there, and Leo had also gone to pick up some of his charges. Phoebe looked down at what she had, and said, "As ready as we'll ever be."
"Alright, Paige, orb us there." As Paige grabbed the sisters and prepared to orb them, Cole walked in and said, "I'm coming too."
"You haven't exactly been the most supportive member of this plan, Cole. Are you sure about this?" Phoebe asked.
Cole looked at her for a few seconds, and then said, "I don't like it at all, but I will not shy from a battle, no matter who I'm fighting. I will protect my family, no matter what." He then put his arm on Paige's shoulder.
"Alright, let's go." Paige said, and then they were gone in a swirl of blue orbs. ***
When the sisters and Cole arrived at the scene, they found that they were not the first ones there. There were close to 3 dozen people milling about, handing out potions and amulets. Paige looked around in confusion, and said, "We have the entire side of good with us and all we get is 3 dozen people?"
"Unfortunately, most of our sisters and brothers are not strong enough to be of any use in the actual. However, many of them have helped by mixing potions and empowering artifacts." A new voice said. Looking behind them, the sisters saw a gangly girl of about 16 who had auburn hair and blue eyes. She handed each of them an amulet, and said, "Here you go, this is one of their gifts. It will protect you from demonic attacks." The Charmed Ones nodded, and said, "Thank you, and good luck." The witch nodded, and said, "Luck to us all." Then she left.
Just then, Leo orbed in with another witch. Piper looked at him in shock when she saw what he was carrying. In his hands, Leo held two swords. He saw them, and smiled. "I thought you might come," Leo said to Cole, "so I brought you something to fight with. It's been enchanted to hurt demons, so it should work." Cole grabbed it and nodded. Leo then looked at Piper, who was staring in open mouthed astonishment. "You didn't think I'd sit this one out, did you honey? I will protect you and our child."
Mortanos walked over and remarked, "Good day for a battle."
Paige looked at him for a second, and said, "Yeah, I'd bet you'd be happy about a battle. More deaths."
Mortanos looked sad for a moment, and then said, "I may be the Guardian of Death, but I do not relish death. It is a necessity; something I understand has to happen. Anyway, you and your sisters are going to take point. We've got about half an hour left, so now's the time to get into position."
"Right," all three sisters said, and they then headed to the front of the 'army'.
The waiting was the hardest part. As the time slowly ticked by, everyone's mind was on the upcoming battle, and what would happen. Everyone except Phoebe. Her mind kept wandering back to Cole. She looked deeply in herself, and wondered what her feeling towards him really were. He was standing right next to her, and she knew he was afraid. How could he not be? He didn't have any visible power that he knew how to control, and he was as mortal as they were. All he had to defend himself was a sword. But, he would not back down, she realized. He would stay here and die to protect her, if his death would make a difference. Realizing this, she looked at him and said, "Cole."
When he looked back at her, she said simply, "The divorce was a mistake. I'm sorry." Cole's face broke out into a smile, and he said, "So am I. Hopefully, a mistake we can rectify when we get out of here."
Suddenly, clouds began to from overhead, and darkness fell. "This is it." Piper whispered, and sure enough, three seconds later Phoebe's son appeared. He was alone, and appeared to be unarmed. He surveyed the crowd, and said, "Quite an audience for a surrender."
"We'll never surrender to evil." Someone shouted in the crowd. Phoebe's son looked for a second, and then said, "So, this is some pathetic attempt to stop me? Very well, if you really want to die, I can handle that. But, I suppose I should at least make an effort to keep my presence hidden from the mortals, at least till I'm ready to enslave them." Phoebe's son turned towards the city, and shouted, "INVITOS DESMON!" A black wave left his body and traveled outward.
"What did you do?" Paige demanded.
"Everyone except for us within a 300 miles sphere is now asleep. I wouldn't want any of my future slaves getting curious and coming over here. Now then, shall we get started?" As the Source began to gesture, Cole ran out and shouted, "STOP!"
Phoebe hissed at him, "Cole, what are you doing?" but Cole ignored her. He ran up to the Source, and said, "Son, don't do this. You're not evil, I know you're not." Since Cole was the only one near him, only he saw his son's eyes go back to normal for a moment, and only he heard, "Fa.father.sa.save.me." Then the eyes were back to normal, and he said in a disdainful voice, "Do not tell me what I am. I know perfectly well I am evil, an evil I got from you. Now, get out of my way, or I will destroy you."
As Cole realized his son still existed, he turned within himself, seeking something, ANYTHING, he could say or do to save his son. Please, god Cole thought. I've lived in darkness my whole life, don't let my son follow me in. As Cole was digging, he felt something inside him change, and he suddenly realized what his power was. Hope rose within him, and he shouted, "I WILL SAVE YOU!" and dove at his son. His son stepped back, bracing himself for a collision. To everyone's amazement, Cole did not collide with the Source, he hit the Source and disappeared. The Source staggered back a few steps, and then shook his head.
"I don't believe it." Leo muttered.
"What, what happened?" Piper whispered.
"Cole's power, its mindscaping."
"What the hell is mindscaping?" Paige asked.
"The ability to physically enter someone's mind," Leo explained. "It is exceptionally rare, and only one other witch has ever had it."
The Source looked at Leo for a second, and then said, "Well, that was pointless. Oh, well. I guess it's time." The Source looked around for a moment, and then said, "You know, I really don't feel like taking you on alone. Let me even things up a bit." He raised his arms, and a column of black light burst from the ground around him. It shot straight up into the sky, and as the Charmed Ones watched, balls of black fire rained down on the field. None of them hit anywhere near the side of Good. Piper said, "Nice job with the deflection, whoever did it."
When the light finally stopped, the Source smiled and said, "I wasn't trying to hit you. ARISE!" At that command, the balls of black fire coalesced into the forms of humans. They stood up, and opened their eyes. Paige gasped, for every one had eyes like the Source. The Source smiled and said, "That's a little better. Admittedly, they're only as strong as the previous Source, but they'll do." He then looked at the Charmed Ones, smiled, and said, "DEMONS, ATTACK!"
***
When Cole finally could see again, he found himself standing on a cliff overlooking a vast black sea. He looked around in confusion, and said, "Where am I?" Then, as he remembered what had happened, Cole looked around and said, "Is this my son's mind? Where is he?" Suddenly, Cole felt something grab his leg. He looked down, and realized the 'black sea' was really alive, and was coming after me. Cole yanked his foot free and jumped when another tentacle shot at him. To his surprise, he went up almost 50 feet, and stopped. As Cole glanced down, he smiled and said, "Much better." Then a light caught his eye, off in the distance. Cole squinted, trying to get a better look, and then decided to head there. Before he could even think about landing, he was flying towards the light. ***
As the battle commenced, the Guardians leapt forward and attacked the Source head on. They unleashed their powers on him, but he was holding his own. Meanwhile, the sisters found themselves diving behind some cover as demons began launching fireballs at them. As they were ducking, Phoebe commented, "Isn't this fun?"
"Not really." Piper said, and then gestured at one of the demons. He blew up, and then came back a few seconds later. "Well, that's just great." Paige said, and then redirected a fireball back towards a demon. The demon burst into flames, and then collapsed. "Well, at least that works."
Looking around, Piper saw her husband take on a demon. He cut at him low, than followed with an overhead swing that vanquished the demon instantly. He then looked at Piper and smiled. Piper looked at her sisters, and said, "How are we supposed to banish him when we can't get close?"
"We're going to have to make a run for it." Phoebe shouted. "Let's go!" With a run, she took off towards the Source. Within five feet, a demon took notice and fired at her. Phoebe dove over the fireball, rolled, and came up by the demon. She delivered a kick to the demon's gut, and then followed through with a punch to the demon's face. He went down.
"You heard the insane one, let's do it!" Piper shouted, and then she and Paige took off after Phoebe. When they got within 20 feet of the Source, they watched as the Guardians hit him with everything they had. The Source was actually getting knocked back as he struggled to deal with so many threats. The Charmed Ones got ready to cast the spell, until they saw his face. Instead of looking worried or like he was struggling, the Source was smiling. "Why does that worry me?" Paige asked.
The Source stopped falling back, and planted his feet. He looked around, and said, "Enough is enough." With a primal yell of rage, and Source held out his hands. Black lightning erupted from him and headed in every direction. The Guardians, who were too close to dodge, took a direct hit. They fell to the ground, senseless. Meanwhile, Piper, Paige and Phoebe saw the lightning coming and ducked behind a close rock. They felt it course over and around them for a few seconds, and then it was over. Just as they were about to get back up, everything went dark. ***
When Piper came to, she realized she was on her back, and she had one hell of a headache. As she leveled herself up, she looked around and saw with shock that the rock they had been hiding behind was now a crater. As she continued her search, she also noticed that she was the only being of Good moving. Seeing her sister Paige nearby, Piper crawled over and tried to rouse her. No response. When she turned her over, Piper gasped. Paige's middle was gone, blown away by some sort of blast. As Piper desperately felt for a pulse, she realized Paige was gone.
"Well, this was unexpected."
When Piper turned around, the Source was standing there. No longer in his little boy form, the Source stood a full 12 feet, and was encased in shadow and darkness. He looked at Piper for a moment, and then said, "I did not realize your child could heal you from the womb. It was an oversight on my part."
"You.you KILLED THEM ALL!" Piper screamed as she got to her feet.
"Well, I missed you," the Source said with a smile. "A mistake I plan to fix right now."
As the Source headed toward her, she felt a rage take over her. A voice inside her head said Gesture. Why Piper asked. I have altered your powers to give you a chance mom, now gesture!
Piper quickly gestured, but the Source did not slow down. That didn't work! She thought back. Swing at him the voice responded. Piper took a swing at the Source, and was shocked beyond measure. She moved so fast her eyes couldn't follow. One moment her hand was at her side, the next it had connected squarely with the Source. The Source staggered back a few steps, and then said, "How did you do that?"
"You killed my sisters, and I am taking you down." Piper yelled as she charged him. Within a few seconds, Piper had delivered over 30 blows, and the Source was knocked back. He fell to the ground with an expression of disbelief of his face. Piper said, "Take this!" and slammed her foot down. Unfortunately, the Source was gone by the time her foot made contact. Suddenly, she felt something slam into her back. For a second, she felt pain, and then she was fine again. Turning around, she saw the Source looking at her in annoyance. "Alright, this is getting old." He said, and gestured at her. Piper tried to step towards him, but something had her feet. Looking down, she saw that roots had come out of the ground and had grabbed her. She felt the Source push her, and then she fell to the ground. As she tried to get up, more roots appeared and grabbed her arms, stomach and neck. Within seconds, she was pinned.
The Source looked at her and said, "All that speed doesn't do much when you can't move, does it? Oh, well. You made the day more interesting, but now it's time to find out if your baby can heal vaporization." As a huge energy ball appeared in his hands, the Source said, "This ends NOW!" ***
Time and distance were meaningless as Cole flew towards the light. It felt like hours, but Cole had no way of knowing for sure. Eventually, Cole found the source of the light. It was a small island with a white shield around it. The black tentacles were touching it, but were unable to penetrate. As Cole hit the shield, he expected some kind of resistance, but met none. When he landed, Cole looked around, and spotted his son sitting a few feet away, rocking back and forth. Cole approached slowly and said, "Son?"
His son looked up, and said hoarsely, "Father?" When Cole nodded, he said slowly, "I.I tri..tried to resist it. I tried to so hard, but I can't beat him. And now he is doing hor.horrible things." His son began to cry, and Cole gathered him up in his arms. "Shhhh.I know son. I know how hard it can be to fight evil, especially when it's the Source. I couldn't win, but I know you can."
"No, I can't. I tried, but he is too strong. I couldn't stand up to the Source before, and this evil is even stronger." Cole's son said.
Cole helped his son to his feet, and then looked out at the shield and asked, "How long will the shield last?"
His son stared out for a second, and said, "I few more minutes, maybe less. I can't stand before him. I'm evil, and he knows it."
Cole looked down at his son, and said, "Son, you are not evil. No one can make you evil, either by birth or by force. It has to be your choice, and you can choose."
"But, you were evil as the Source." Cole's son said.
"I wasn't strong enough to fight him, but you are. Look deep within yourself, past all the fear, and the hate, and the rage, and find your inner core, the place where you keep all your conviction. You cannot let him win, or he will kill everyone. Piper, Paige, Leo, your mother, even me will fall if you do not stand up right now. You can do it son. I know you can."
Suddenly, the shield collapsed and the tentacles dart forward. They grab Cole around his arms and legs and began to pull him towards the sea. "FATHER!" Cole's son shouts. Cole looks at him, and says "Choose."
Just as Cole is about to be pulled under, he heard his son shout, "I AM GOOD!" Cole looked up just in time to see light erupt from his son, a light far brighter than any sun in the universe. And everywhere the light touched, the black sea withered and died. Cole felt the light course through him, and surrendered to it, oblivious to his surroundings. ***
As the Source prepared to fire an energy ball, Piper thought not like this. It can't end like this. Suddenly, the Source clutched at his stomach. He started to back away, and said, "What is.AHHHH!" White cracks began to appear along the Source's body, and he continued to back away. "NO!" The Source shouted. With a deafening explosion, the Source exploded. Piper closed her eyes and hoped nothing would hit her. When she opened them, she saw to her astonishment a being composed entirely of white light stood in the Source place. It was so beautiful, Piper felt tears come to her eyes. As the light from this being touched her, Piper felt the bonds loosen, and all her pain and weariness fade. She slowly got to her feet, and watched in astonishment as every agent of Good did the same.
"But you were dead!" Piper exclaimed.
"Apparently, not dead enough." Phoebe replied.
"DO YOU THINK I AM FINISHED!" a voice roared.
The Charmed Ones looked and gasped as the pieces of the Source began to come together. They came together and the puddle grew into it was vaguely man-shaped. The man shaped moved slowly, but it still moved.
"I am POWER incarnate," the shadow shouted, pain obvious in its voice, "I cannot be vanquished! I am unstoppable!" The shadow then pointed towards the Charmed Ones and fired a beam of pure darkness. Just before it hit, the white being stepped in its path and stopped it. He shouted, "Cast your spell!" before he began to fire a series of white bolts at the shadow. The Charmed Ones began to chant:
Ancient Powers of the Light Remove this being from our sight Listen to us, hear our rhyme Take this being for all time We now ask in these times dire Send this being to Tarturus's fires.
As they finished chanting, a portal appeared behind the shadow. The shadow shouted, "NO!" and tried to avoid it. But, the white being hit him with a massive bolt, and the shadow fell in. The portal closed, and all was silent.
The white being fell to his knees, and as the light began to fade, he shrank. Finally, the light faded, and Phoebe's son remained. He was panting, and trying to get his breath. Cole appeared beside him, and then promptly fell over. Phoebe ran over to him, and grabbed him as he fell.
No one said anything for a few seconds, and then Fiona walked forward. She bent in front of Phoebe's son, touched her forehead to his, and said in a clear voice, "Fire to Life, I greet you brother." As she stood up, Undine walked forward, leaned down, and said, "Water to Life, I greet you Brother." One by one, the Guardians walked forward and repeated their benediction until only Mortano was left. He slowly walked forward, bent down, and touched his forehead to Phoebe's son. He then said in a tone that almost shook with power, "Death to Life, Yin to Yang, I greet you Brother. Welcome, Guardian of Life."
As Mortanos helped Phoebe's son to his feet, Leo exclaimed, "What was that? You mean you were mortal once?"
Fiona looked at Leo in annoyance and said, "You know, you're rather dense for a whitelighter. What, did you think we just appeared out of nowhere? We were all mortal once. Over the eons, we were tested, and if we passed, we became Guardians."
"Wait, are you telling me this whole thing with Ezekiel was a test!" Phoebe shouted.
"Did really think any amount of fire could destroy the Grimoire? I had to use quite a bit of power to get the result I wanted." Fiona said.
"How DARE you! What gives you the right! All those deaths, for just a TEST!" Piper shouted.
"What deaths? Every being Ezekiel absorbed has been restored, as if they were fine. If you mean the worry and fear you felt, well, we are sorry about that. But, you have to understand, we needed to know. Guardians have a huge responsibility, and Life is paramount among the Guardians. No one has ever passed the first test, much less completed the trial. Phoebe's son had more potential than any of the previous ones, but the fact that he had fallen to evil before worried us. We had to make sure he could stop evil if it ever possessed him again. If he couldn't, we would have destroyed him and reset everything."
"Wait, is that how he survived when he brought me back?" Cole asked.
"Catches on quick," Moebi muttered to Mortanos, who smiled. "Yes, Cole. As Guardians, our actions are above reproach by anyone save other Guardians and God. When we explained our intentions, the court had no choice but to let him go."
"If I hadn't stepped forward, he would have died before you got there!" Cole shouted.
"We were there the whole time," Undine quipped. "We needed to judge his decision to give you another chance. Your willingness to be erased for him proved you truly were worthy of a second chance."
"So now what?" Paige asked.
"Now, Life takes his place in our circle as one of its strongest leaders, and we are complete. He will ascend with us to heaven and take his post for all time."
"You mean he's leaving?" Phoebe gasped.
"He has to," Mortanos said sadly. "He has a destiny beyond your comprehension. It is time for him to fulfill his duty."
"Excuse me," Phoebe said, and then she walked off.
Mortanos sighed, and said, "I wish it could be another way, but." Suddenly, he stopped, and looked back at Phoebe's son. Some sort of communication seemed to pass between them, and then Mortanos smiled and nodded. Phoebe's son turned and set off after Phoebe.
"Now then, before we go, we have rewards to give out. Leo Wyatt, step forward." As Leo nervously stepped forward, Azar walked up to him and placed his hands on Leo. "Leo Wyatt, you showed compassion and bravery beyond the call of duty, and as such, I, Guardian of Spirit, hereby claim you as mine, and increase your powers." A brief blue glow encompassed Leo, and then he stepped back.
"Piper Halliwell."
As Piper stepped forward, Kuzan met her halfway. He touched her and said, "Piper, you took on the ultimate evil without blinking, even when you knew it was hopeless. You have proven yourself worthy of a special reward." As a glow encompassed Piper, Kuzan said, "I hereby alter your destiny and give you back what was taken from you. Piper Halliwell, you may have as many children as you want, instead of one. In addition, I hereby add to your powers." A orange glow surrounded Piper, and then she stepped back, tears in her eyes. "Thank you." She whispered.
"Paige Halliwell."
Paige walked forward quickly, and Tempest stepped forward. He touched her and said, "Paige, your insight and intuition provided us with a way to banish evil. You thought outside the box, and have shown yourself worthy. I give back to you the power taken from you in your past life. Use it wisely." Again, a yellow glow emanated from Paige, and then she stepped.
"And finally, Cole Turner."
As Cole approached, he said, "I require no reward. My second chance is enough for me."
Mortanos smiled, and then he stepped forward and whispered, "You'll make me look bad if you say that." He then continued in a louder voice. "Cole Turner, you have walked roads of darkness few can travel. You have battled both good and evil, and never gave up hope in redemption. Therefore, I give you a gift, a gift you will discover in time." A black glow emerged from Cole, and then he stepped back.
"Well, I guess it's time to be going." Moebi said, and the Guardians turned to leave.
"Wait," Paige said, "What about Phoebe? She deserves a reward too."
Moebi looked, and then said mysteriously, "We've already given her a reward." Then the Guardians were gone. ***
Phoebe kept walking, trying to keep the tears from springing forth. She couldn't understand how her son could have become so important to her so quickly. She knew he was going on to do great good, but it didn't matter. She was losing him. When they thought they had to kill him, Phoebe had tried to pretend she was okay with it, but she wasn't. She walked for a few minutes, and then stopped at a cliff overlooking the city. She just stared out into the city, and wondered what she would do now.
"Mom."
Phoebe didn't turn, instead she said in a choked voice, "Coming to say goodbye?"
Her son hesitated, and then said, "I'm not leaving."
"What?" Phoebe said, turning around. "But, you have to go up and take your post?"
"I talked to Mortanos, and we worked something out. By tradition, the main characters in a test are rewarded for their parts if they performed admirably. Since you did so well, and because I am so young, Mortanos agreed to cover for me up there until I'm ready. I will be Life eventually, but not now. I want a childhood, and most of all, I want to be with my family. If you'll have me, of course." Phoebe's son said the last part hesitantly.
Phoebe burst into tears, and fell to her knees. She held out her arms, and her son ran into them. "Of course. I love you son."
"I love you too mother." Phoebe's son said. He began to glow, and then the glow encompassed to Phoebe. When it was gone, Phoebe discovered she was holding air. However, she felt her son, with her in her womb, and back to where he should be. She smiled, and started to head back.
When she got back, only her sisters, Cole and Leo were still in the clearing. Piper looked over and said hesitantly, "Everyone else is gone. Did your s.the Guardian of Life say goodbye?"
Phoebe's smile grew, and she said, "He didn't go anywhere. He's back where he belongs," Phoebe continued as she touched stomach. Piper and Paige smiled, and then they hugged her. They held that pose for a few moments, and then Phoebe broke the embrace and said, "And his name is not Guardian of Life." She looked over at Cole for a few seconds, and then said, "His name is Gabriel Coleridge Turner."
THE END
After filling Leo in on what happened, he decided to orb up to tell the Elders what was going on, and ask for advice. The Charmed Ones and Cole sat down and stared at each other for a few moments, until finally Paige asked the question, "So, what are we going to do?"
Piper responded quietly, "Whatever we have to do?"
"What do you mean? You want to vanquish my SON!" Cole shouted.
"Cole, I don't see a choice. We don't have a clue what happened to him in that Chamber, nor even the remotest idea how to reverse it. Even if we had time, we couldn't prepare anything remotely possible in the amount of time we have. I don't see how we have a choice." Piper said gravely.
"Oh, of course." Cole said sarcastically. "If this was your child, you'd move heaven and earth to save it, or one of your sisters. But save the spawn of a demon from evil? Never, of course he must have wanted it, and let it happen. I've heard enough." Cole got up, and walked out of the room in disgust.
Paige turned to Phoebe and asked, "What do you think?"
Phoebe stared at the ground for a moment longer, and then said, "I don't want to, and wish there was another way. But, if it is the only option, I'll help."
"Fine. That just raises the question, what can we do? I mean, we couldn't even handle Ezekiel, Phoebe's son was the only one who could touch him. And now we have to deal with Phoebe's son who has gotten even stronger? I wouldn't know where to start." Paige said.
"Well, we start with the vanquish we have for Ezekiel. Do you think it could work on Phoebe's son?" Piper asked gravely.
"It might.," Paige began, "But he'd have to be holding still while we got it. You saw what happened when we tried it on Ezekiel, he preempted us. We'd need something pretty powerful to keep him trapped."
"I think we can help with that." A new voice spoke. As the sisters looked around, eight shining figures of different colors appeared.
"The Guardians! What are you doing here?" Paige exclaimed. Both Piper and Phoebe winced at her bluntness, but the Guardians didn't seem fazed. The light faded from them, and the sisters found themselves looking at 5 males and 3 females.
"We are here to help." Mortanos said.
"Not that we aren't grateful, but why are you helping us? Leo said you didn't ever involve yourself here." Phoebe said.
Mortanos smiled, and said, "First of all, the new Source may have the power to erase the fabric of existence, and we cannot allow that. However, if you won't take that for an answer, let us just say we have a.personal stake in this event. Now then, I feel it is only fair to introduce ourselves. As you know, I am Mortanos, Guardian of Death."
One of the women stepped forward, and said, "I am Fiona, Guardian of Fire."
A shock, stocky man said, "I am Tempest, Guardian of Wind."
A tall, thin woman then said, "I am Sierra, Guardian of Earth."
An older man with a slight limp said, "I am Azar, Guardian of Spirit."
The final woman stepped forward and said, "I am Undine, Guardian of Water."
A man missing his right arm walked forward and said, "I am a Kazan, Guardian of Destiny."
As the final man walked forward, leaning heavily on his cane, the sisters realized he was blind. "I am Moebi, Guardian of Time."
Mortanos then took the lead and said, "We may be able to hold him long enough for you to cast your spell, but we couldn't handle anything else."
"That should be more than enough, and thank you for your help." Piper said. Just then, Leo orbed back in. He took one look at the Guardians and fell into a bow. Fiona's face took on a look of irritation as she said, "Get up! I never could stand all that damn bowing when we entered a room." Leo got up with an embarrassed look on his face. Piper turned to him and said, "Focus, Leo. What did the Elders say?"
Leo looked at Piper, and said, "They have decided to help. They are going to call up every witch and whitelighter for this battle. If the new Source wants to try and kill us all, then at least we'll all be together, and we'll go down fighting. They want us to fight at a field outside of town. It's remote, and it has good cover in case of projectiles."
"I'm shocked, I never thought the Elder pacifists would make such an aggressive stance." Paige remaked.
"They obviously feel we don't have a choice. Now, let's get ready." ***
Cole could hear them arguing in the Living Room, and he heard the Guardians come in. He heard Leo's plan to fight a huge battle outside of town, and he sighed. Of all the people on the side of good, only he really understood what was going on. He never for a moment thought his Son wanted to be evil. His son, like his father before him, just lost the battle of wills against evil, and now it looks like he will pay the same price.
Cole remembered the scene in the Chamber perfectly. He remembered the moment he came back from wherever he had been, and he remembered his son stepping out of the Chamber. But, where the others saw only evil in the void of his eyes, Cole could almost swear his son had still been there, and was begging for help. The others may have given up on him, but Cole would not. No matter what, he would save his son. ***
"Is everyone ready?" Piper asked. It was the next day, and 1 hour until the appointed time. They had been working all night, and had brewed a couple of potions that may help them in the upcoming fight, just in case. The Guardians had left, saying they would meet them there, and Leo had also gone to pick up some of his charges. Phoebe looked down at what she had, and said, "As ready as we'll ever be."
"Alright, Paige, orb us there." As Paige grabbed the sisters and prepared to orb them, Cole walked in and said, "I'm coming too."
"You haven't exactly been the most supportive member of this plan, Cole. Are you sure about this?" Phoebe asked.
Cole looked at her for a few seconds, and then said, "I don't like it at all, but I will not shy from a battle, no matter who I'm fighting. I will protect my family, no matter what." He then put his arm on Paige's shoulder.
"Alright, let's go." Paige said, and then they were gone in a swirl of blue orbs. ***
When the sisters and Cole arrived at the scene, they found that they were not the first ones there. There were close to 3 dozen people milling about, handing out potions and amulets. Paige looked around in confusion, and said, "We have the entire side of good with us and all we get is 3 dozen people?"
"Unfortunately, most of our sisters and brothers are not strong enough to be of any use in the actual. However, many of them have helped by mixing potions and empowering artifacts." A new voice said. Looking behind them, the sisters saw a gangly girl of about 16 who had auburn hair and blue eyes. She handed each of them an amulet, and said, "Here you go, this is one of their gifts. It will protect you from demonic attacks." The Charmed Ones nodded, and said, "Thank you, and good luck." The witch nodded, and said, "Luck to us all." Then she left.
Just then, Leo orbed in with another witch. Piper looked at him in shock when she saw what he was carrying. In his hands, Leo held two swords. He saw them, and smiled. "I thought you might come," Leo said to Cole, "so I brought you something to fight with. It's been enchanted to hurt demons, so it should work." Cole grabbed it and nodded. Leo then looked at Piper, who was staring in open mouthed astonishment. "You didn't think I'd sit this one out, did you honey? I will protect you and our child."
Mortanos walked over and remarked, "Good day for a battle."
Paige looked at him for a second, and said, "Yeah, I'd bet you'd be happy about a battle. More deaths."
Mortanos looked sad for a moment, and then said, "I may be the Guardian of Death, but I do not relish death. It is a necessity; something I understand has to happen. Anyway, you and your sisters are going to take point. We've got about half an hour left, so now's the time to get into position."
"Right," all three sisters said, and they then headed to the front of the 'army'.
The waiting was the hardest part. As the time slowly ticked by, everyone's mind was on the upcoming battle, and what would happen. Everyone except Phoebe. Her mind kept wandering back to Cole. She looked deeply in herself, and wondered what her feeling towards him really were. He was standing right next to her, and she knew he was afraid. How could he not be? He didn't have any visible power that he knew how to control, and he was as mortal as they were. All he had to defend himself was a sword. But, he would not back down, she realized. He would stay here and die to protect her, if his death would make a difference. Realizing this, she looked at him and said, "Cole."
When he looked back at her, she said simply, "The divorce was a mistake. I'm sorry." Cole's face broke out into a smile, and he said, "So am I. Hopefully, a mistake we can rectify when we get out of here."
Suddenly, clouds began to from overhead, and darkness fell. "This is it." Piper whispered, and sure enough, three seconds later Phoebe's son appeared. He was alone, and appeared to be unarmed. He surveyed the crowd, and said, "Quite an audience for a surrender."
"We'll never surrender to evil." Someone shouted in the crowd. Phoebe's son looked for a second, and then said, "So, this is some pathetic attempt to stop me? Very well, if you really want to die, I can handle that. But, I suppose I should at least make an effort to keep my presence hidden from the mortals, at least till I'm ready to enslave them." Phoebe's son turned towards the city, and shouted, "INVITOS DESMON!" A black wave left his body and traveled outward.
"What did you do?" Paige demanded.
"Everyone except for us within a 300 miles sphere is now asleep. I wouldn't want any of my future slaves getting curious and coming over here. Now then, shall we get started?" As the Source began to gesture, Cole ran out and shouted, "STOP!"
Phoebe hissed at him, "Cole, what are you doing?" but Cole ignored her. He ran up to the Source, and said, "Son, don't do this. You're not evil, I know you're not." Since Cole was the only one near him, only he saw his son's eyes go back to normal for a moment, and only he heard, "Fa.father.sa.save.me." Then the eyes were back to normal, and he said in a disdainful voice, "Do not tell me what I am. I know perfectly well I am evil, an evil I got from you. Now, get out of my way, or I will destroy you."
As Cole realized his son still existed, he turned within himself, seeking something, ANYTHING, he could say or do to save his son. Please, god Cole thought. I've lived in darkness my whole life, don't let my son follow me in. As Cole was digging, he felt something inside him change, and he suddenly realized what his power was. Hope rose within him, and he shouted, "I WILL SAVE YOU!" and dove at his son. His son stepped back, bracing himself for a collision. To everyone's amazement, Cole did not collide with the Source, he hit the Source and disappeared. The Source staggered back a few steps, and then shook his head.
"I don't believe it." Leo muttered.
"What, what happened?" Piper whispered.
"Cole's power, its mindscaping."
"What the hell is mindscaping?" Paige asked.
"The ability to physically enter someone's mind," Leo explained. "It is exceptionally rare, and only one other witch has ever had it."
The Source looked at Leo for a second, and then said, "Well, that was pointless. Oh, well. I guess it's time." The Source looked around for a moment, and then said, "You know, I really don't feel like taking you on alone. Let me even things up a bit." He raised his arms, and a column of black light burst from the ground around him. It shot straight up into the sky, and as the Charmed Ones watched, balls of black fire rained down on the field. None of them hit anywhere near the side of Good. Piper said, "Nice job with the deflection, whoever did it."
When the light finally stopped, the Source smiled and said, "I wasn't trying to hit you. ARISE!" At that command, the balls of black fire coalesced into the forms of humans. They stood up, and opened their eyes. Paige gasped, for every one had eyes like the Source. The Source smiled and said, "That's a little better. Admittedly, they're only as strong as the previous Source, but they'll do." He then looked at the Charmed Ones, smiled, and said, "DEMONS, ATTACK!"
***
When Cole finally could see again, he found himself standing on a cliff overlooking a vast black sea. He looked around in confusion, and said, "Where am I?" Then, as he remembered what had happened, Cole looked around and said, "Is this my son's mind? Where is he?" Suddenly, Cole felt something grab his leg. He looked down, and realized the 'black sea' was really alive, and was coming after me. Cole yanked his foot free and jumped when another tentacle shot at him. To his surprise, he went up almost 50 feet, and stopped. As Cole glanced down, he smiled and said, "Much better." Then a light caught his eye, off in the distance. Cole squinted, trying to get a better look, and then decided to head there. Before he could even think about landing, he was flying towards the light. ***
As the battle commenced, the Guardians leapt forward and attacked the Source head on. They unleashed their powers on him, but he was holding his own. Meanwhile, the sisters found themselves diving behind some cover as demons began launching fireballs at them. As they were ducking, Phoebe commented, "Isn't this fun?"
"Not really." Piper said, and then gestured at one of the demons. He blew up, and then came back a few seconds later. "Well, that's just great." Paige said, and then redirected a fireball back towards a demon. The demon burst into flames, and then collapsed. "Well, at least that works."
Looking around, Piper saw her husband take on a demon. He cut at him low, than followed with an overhead swing that vanquished the demon instantly. He then looked at Piper and smiled. Piper looked at her sisters, and said, "How are we supposed to banish him when we can't get close?"
"We're going to have to make a run for it." Phoebe shouted. "Let's go!" With a run, she took off towards the Source. Within five feet, a demon took notice and fired at her. Phoebe dove over the fireball, rolled, and came up by the demon. She delivered a kick to the demon's gut, and then followed through with a punch to the demon's face. He went down.
"You heard the insane one, let's do it!" Piper shouted, and then she and Paige took off after Phoebe. When they got within 20 feet of the Source, they watched as the Guardians hit him with everything they had. The Source was actually getting knocked back as he struggled to deal with so many threats. The Charmed Ones got ready to cast the spell, until they saw his face. Instead of looking worried or like he was struggling, the Source was smiling. "Why does that worry me?" Paige asked.
The Source stopped falling back, and planted his feet. He looked around, and said, "Enough is enough." With a primal yell of rage, and Source held out his hands. Black lightning erupted from him and headed in every direction. The Guardians, who were too close to dodge, took a direct hit. They fell to the ground, senseless. Meanwhile, Piper, Paige and Phoebe saw the lightning coming and ducked behind a close rock. They felt it course over and around them for a few seconds, and then it was over. Just as they were about to get back up, everything went dark. ***
When Piper came to, she realized she was on her back, and she had one hell of a headache. As she leveled herself up, she looked around and saw with shock that the rock they had been hiding behind was now a crater. As she continued her search, she also noticed that she was the only being of Good moving. Seeing her sister Paige nearby, Piper crawled over and tried to rouse her. No response. When she turned her over, Piper gasped. Paige's middle was gone, blown away by some sort of blast. As Piper desperately felt for a pulse, she realized Paige was gone.
"Well, this was unexpected."
When Piper turned around, the Source was standing there. No longer in his little boy form, the Source stood a full 12 feet, and was encased in shadow and darkness. He looked at Piper for a moment, and then said, "I did not realize your child could heal you from the womb. It was an oversight on my part."
"You.you KILLED THEM ALL!" Piper screamed as she got to her feet.
"Well, I missed you," the Source said with a smile. "A mistake I plan to fix right now."
As the Source headed toward her, she felt a rage take over her. A voice inside her head said Gesture. Why Piper asked. I have altered your powers to give you a chance mom, now gesture!
Piper quickly gestured, but the Source did not slow down. That didn't work! She thought back. Swing at him the voice responded. Piper took a swing at the Source, and was shocked beyond measure. She moved so fast her eyes couldn't follow. One moment her hand was at her side, the next it had connected squarely with the Source. The Source staggered back a few steps, and then said, "How did you do that?"
"You killed my sisters, and I am taking you down." Piper yelled as she charged him. Within a few seconds, Piper had delivered over 30 blows, and the Source was knocked back. He fell to the ground with an expression of disbelief of his face. Piper said, "Take this!" and slammed her foot down. Unfortunately, the Source was gone by the time her foot made contact. Suddenly, she felt something slam into her back. For a second, she felt pain, and then she was fine again. Turning around, she saw the Source looking at her in annoyance. "Alright, this is getting old." He said, and gestured at her. Piper tried to step towards him, but something had her feet. Looking down, she saw that roots had come out of the ground and had grabbed her. She felt the Source push her, and then she fell to the ground. As she tried to get up, more roots appeared and grabbed her arms, stomach and neck. Within seconds, she was pinned.
The Source looked at her and said, "All that speed doesn't do much when you can't move, does it? Oh, well. You made the day more interesting, but now it's time to find out if your baby can heal vaporization." As a huge energy ball appeared in his hands, the Source said, "This ends NOW!" ***
Time and distance were meaningless as Cole flew towards the light. It felt like hours, but Cole had no way of knowing for sure. Eventually, Cole found the source of the light. It was a small island with a white shield around it. The black tentacles were touching it, but were unable to penetrate. As Cole hit the shield, he expected some kind of resistance, but met none. When he landed, Cole looked around, and spotted his son sitting a few feet away, rocking back and forth. Cole approached slowly and said, "Son?"
His son looked up, and said hoarsely, "Father?" When Cole nodded, he said slowly, "I.I tri..tried to resist it. I tried to so hard, but I can't beat him. And now he is doing hor.horrible things." His son began to cry, and Cole gathered him up in his arms. "Shhhh.I know son. I know how hard it can be to fight evil, especially when it's the Source. I couldn't win, but I know you can."
"No, I can't. I tried, but he is too strong. I couldn't stand up to the Source before, and this evil is even stronger." Cole's son said.
Cole helped his son to his feet, and then looked out at the shield and asked, "How long will the shield last?"
His son stared out for a second, and said, "I few more minutes, maybe less. I can't stand before him. I'm evil, and he knows it."
Cole looked down at his son, and said, "Son, you are not evil. No one can make you evil, either by birth or by force. It has to be your choice, and you can choose."
"But, you were evil as the Source." Cole's son said.
"I wasn't strong enough to fight him, but you are. Look deep within yourself, past all the fear, and the hate, and the rage, and find your inner core, the place where you keep all your conviction. You cannot let him win, or he will kill everyone. Piper, Paige, Leo, your mother, even me will fall if you do not stand up right now. You can do it son. I know you can."
Suddenly, the shield collapsed and the tentacles dart forward. They grab Cole around his arms and legs and began to pull him towards the sea. "FATHER!" Cole's son shouts. Cole looks at him, and says "Choose."
Just as Cole is about to be pulled under, he heard his son shout, "I AM GOOD!" Cole looked up just in time to see light erupt from his son, a light far brighter than any sun in the universe. And everywhere the light touched, the black sea withered and died. Cole felt the light course through him, and surrendered to it, oblivious to his surroundings. ***
As the Source prepared to fire an energy ball, Piper thought not like this. It can't end like this. Suddenly, the Source clutched at his stomach. He started to back away, and said, "What is.AHHHH!" White cracks began to appear along the Source's body, and he continued to back away. "NO!" The Source shouted. With a deafening explosion, the Source exploded. Piper closed her eyes and hoped nothing would hit her. When she opened them, she saw to her astonishment a being composed entirely of white light stood in the Source place. It was so beautiful, Piper felt tears come to her eyes. As the light from this being touched her, Piper felt the bonds loosen, and all her pain and weariness fade. She slowly got to her feet, and watched in astonishment as every agent of Good did the same.
"But you were dead!" Piper exclaimed.
"Apparently, not dead enough." Phoebe replied.
"DO YOU THINK I AM FINISHED!" a voice roared.
The Charmed Ones looked and gasped as the pieces of the Source began to come together. They came together and the puddle grew into it was vaguely man-shaped. The man shaped moved slowly, but it still moved.
"I am POWER incarnate," the shadow shouted, pain obvious in its voice, "I cannot be vanquished! I am unstoppable!" The shadow then pointed towards the Charmed Ones and fired a beam of pure darkness. Just before it hit, the white being stepped in its path and stopped it. He shouted, "Cast your spell!" before he began to fire a series of white bolts at the shadow. The Charmed Ones began to chant:
Ancient Powers of the Light Remove this being from our sight Listen to us, hear our rhyme Take this being for all time We now ask in these times dire Send this being to Tarturus's fires.
As they finished chanting, a portal appeared behind the shadow. The shadow shouted, "NO!" and tried to avoid it. But, the white being hit him with a massive bolt, and the shadow fell in. The portal closed, and all was silent.
The white being fell to his knees, and as the light began to fade, he shrank. Finally, the light faded, and Phoebe's son remained. He was panting, and trying to get his breath. Cole appeared beside him, and then promptly fell over. Phoebe ran over to him, and grabbed him as he fell.
No one said anything for a few seconds, and then Fiona walked forward. She bent in front of Phoebe's son, touched her forehead to his, and said in a clear voice, "Fire to Life, I greet you brother." As she stood up, Undine walked forward, leaned down, and said, "Water to Life, I greet you Brother." One by one, the Guardians walked forward and repeated their benediction until only Mortano was left. He slowly walked forward, bent down, and touched his forehead to Phoebe's son. He then said in a tone that almost shook with power, "Death to Life, Yin to Yang, I greet you Brother. Welcome, Guardian of Life."
As Mortanos helped Phoebe's son to his feet, Leo exclaimed, "What was that? You mean you were mortal once?"
Fiona looked at Leo in annoyance and said, "You know, you're rather dense for a whitelighter. What, did you think we just appeared out of nowhere? We were all mortal once. Over the eons, we were tested, and if we passed, we became Guardians."
"Wait, are you telling me this whole thing with Ezekiel was a test!" Phoebe shouted.
"Did really think any amount of fire could destroy the Grimoire? I had to use quite a bit of power to get the result I wanted." Fiona said.
"How DARE you! What gives you the right! All those deaths, for just a TEST!" Piper shouted.
"What deaths? Every being Ezekiel absorbed has been restored, as if they were fine. If you mean the worry and fear you felt, well, we are sorry about that. But, you have to understand, we needed to know. Guardians have a huge responsibility, and Life is paramount among the Guardians. No one has ever passed the first test, much less completed the trial. Phoebe's son had more potential than any of the previous ones, but the fact that he had fallen to evil before worried us. We had to make sure he could stop evil if it ever possessed him again. If he couldn't, we would have destroyed him and reset everything."
"Wait, is that how he survived when he brought me back?" Cole asked.
"Catches on quick," Moebi muttered to Mortanos, who smiled. "Yes, Cole. As Guardians, our actions are above reproach by anyone save other Guardians and God. When we explained our intentions, the court had no choice but to let him go."
"If I hadn't stepped forward, he would have died before you got there!" Cole shouted.
"We were there the whole time," Undine quipped. "We needed to judge his decision to give you another chance. Your willingness to be erased for him proved you truly were worthy of a second chance."
"So now what?" Paige asked.
"Now, Life takes his place in our circle as one of its strongest leaders, and we are complete. He will ascend with us to heaven and take his post for all time."
"You mean he's leaving?" Phoebe gasped.
"He has to," Mortanos said sadly. "He has a destiny beyond your comprehension. It is time for him to fulfill his duty."
"Excuse me," Phoebe said, and then she walked off.
Mortanos sighed, and said, "I wish it could be another way, but." Suddenly, he stopped, and looked back at Phoebe's son. Some sort of communication seemed to pass between them, and then Mortanos smiled and nodded. Phoebe's son turned and set off after Phoebe.
"Now then, before we go, we have rewards to give out. Leo Wyatt, step forward." As Leo nervously stepped forward, Azar walked up to him and placed his hands on Leo. "Leo Wyatt, you showed compassion and bravery beyond the call of duty, and as such, I, Guardian of Spirit, hereby claim you as mine, and increase your powers." A brief blue glow encompassed Leo, and then he stepped back.
"Piper Halliwell."
As Piper stepped forward, Kuzan met her halfway. He touched her and said, "Piper, you took on the ultimate evil without blinking, even when you knew it was hopeless. You have proven yourself worthy of a special reward." As a glow encompassed Piper, Kuzan said, "I hereby alter your destiny and give you back what was taken from you. Piper Halliwell, you may have as many children as you want, instead of one. In addition, I hereby add to your powers." A orange glow surrounded Piper, and then she stepped back, tears in her eyes. "Thank you." She whispered.
"Paige Halliwell."
Paige walked forward quickly, and Tempest stepped forward. He touched her and said, "Paige, your insight and intuition provided us with a way to banish evil. You thought outside the box, and have shown yourself worthy. I give back to you the power taken from you in your past life. Use it wisely." Again, a yellow glow emanated from Paige, and then she stepped.
"And finally, Cole Turner."
As Cole approached, he said, "I require no reward. My second chance is enough for me."
Mortanos smiled, and then he stepped forward and whispered, "You'll make me look bad if you say that." He then continued in a louder voice. "Cole Turner, you have walked roads of darkness few can travel. You have battled both good and evil, and never gave up hope in redemption. Therefore, I give you a gift, a gift you will discover in time." A black glow emerged from Cole, and then he stepped back.
"Well, I guess it's time to be going." Moebi said, and the Guardians turned to leave.
"Wait," Paige said, "What about Phoebe? She deserves a reward too."
Moebi looked, and then said mysteriously, "We've already given her a reward." Then the Guardians were gone. ***
Phoebe kept walking, trying to keep the tears from springing forth. She couldn't understand how her son could have become so important to her so quickly. She knew he was going on to do great good, but it didn't matter. She was losing him. When they thought they had to kill him, Phoebe had tried to pretend she was okay with it, but she wasn't. She walked for a few minutes, and then stopped at a cliff overlooking the city. She just stared out into the city, and wondered what she would do now.
"Mom."
Phoebe didn't turn, instead she said in a choked voice, "Coming to say goodbye?"
Her son hesitated, and then said, "I'm not leaving."
"What?" Phoebe said, turning around. "But, you have to go up and take your post?"
"I talked to Mortanos, and we worked something out. By tradition, the main characters in a test are rewarded for their parts if they performed admirably. Since you did so well, and because I am so young, Mortanos agreed to cover for me up there until I'm ready. I will be Life eventually, but not now. I want a childhood, and most of all, I want to be with my family. If you'll have me, of course." Phoebe's son said the last part hesitantly.
Phoebe burst into tears, and fell to her knees. She held out her arms, and her son ran into them. "Of course. I love you son."
"I love you too mother." Phoebe's son said. He began to glow, and then the glow encompassed to Phoebe. When it was gone, Phoebe discovered she was holding air. However, she felt her son, with her in her womb, and back to where he should be. She smiled, and started to head back.
When she got back, only her sisters, Cole and Leo were still in the clearing. Piper looked over and said hesitantly, "Everyone else is gone. Did your s.the Guardian of Life say goodbye?"
Phoebe's smile grew, and she said, "He didn't go anywhere. He's back where he belongs," Phoebe continued as she touched stomach. Piper and Paige smiled, and then they hugged her. They held that pose for a few moments, and then Phoebe broke the embrace and said, "And his name is not Guardian of Life." She looked over at Cole for a few seconds, and then said, "His name is Gabriel Coleridge Turner."
THE END